Illustration for children and grown ups from Ken Wilson-Max

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Jamaican

Whatagwaan?

This phrase is essential of you are travelling to or living in a West Indian neighbourhood .(that’s ‘neighorhood’ to all the Americans in the house). It means, ‘What’s going on?’ in the Marvin Gaye sense.

It has a few versions, namely Wa’ Gwaan, ‘Wa’pn’, and can be used in many situations. like the one illustrated below;

At the African Carribean market when buying your weekly supply of yams,

West Indian culture and folklore is often forgotten in favour of African. Maybe forgotten is the wrong word; more like pushed aside. But it is a rich and lyrical source of material for children to learn from and enjoy. Its educational value is not in question as it indirectly chronicles the days of slavery when different cultures (African, European, Creole and Native American) were thrown into a melting pot and allowed to bubble away. That period of the world’s history was both exciting and dark. That’s how I see it, anyway.

As a child in the 60’s I watched Harry Belafonte sing the Banana Boat Song with absolutely no understanding of its meaning, but an addictive curiosity about why its rhythm made me want to move…

I get it now and the story it tells is rich and deceptively simple. I’ve started to research more songs and stories in the hope of making books about them in my own way. Post a comment if you want to see more.

Recenly on chicken newspaper: Chicken Newspaper for Children

The Eucalyptus, from the family Myrtaceae, is famous for being one of the tallest trees on the planet. It grows up to 60 meters, or 200 feet tall and there are over 700 species of eucalyptus. Most come from Australia, New Guinea and Indonesia. They are evergreen trees, which means they don’t shed their leaves, which contain a rich oil that can be used as an insecticide, for coughs, sore throats or blocked noses. Chicken! tip: If you have a cold or blocked nose, add four drops of Eucalyptus oil to boiling water. Then cover your head with a towel Read more

last printedIt’s June! That means its the first Junefest, a children’s books festival taking place over the month in Stroud Green & Harringay Library, North London. Chicken Newspaper will be taking part, and giving away free copies of the last printed issue. So, if you are in North London, what are you waiting for? Come along and join the fun.

Here’s a first look at Little Chicken, our forthcoming publication for under fives and their parents. Right now, we’re putting the finishing touches onto first issue. Would you like to get involved? by commenting on what you see, if you are an early years teacher or specialist? That includes parents by the way. Sign up, take a look and comment. Simple as that. If you want to contribute an article or idea let us know and we’ll consider it.